The team–and then some–gathered in the communal living room, sitting or lounging on the sectional and other furniture. Hannah sat with them, Milo curled against her leg, asleep. She missed having Truman as a buffer, but after spending a week in the RV with the team, she was much more comfortable around them. Even Natasha, who Hannah had had a severe mistrust of at the beginning of her stay, especially with the reminder of the Iron Man shaped hole in her kitchen wall that still was not repaired. Hannah had a theory that the hole remained because the team liked to pop in and out, sneaking things to Milo or leaving her a goody on the counter.

Pepper walked in, her dark blue heels clicking on the floor. "Tony, court is next week."

Hannah was alert in an instant, her hand stilling from where she was running her fingers through Milo's hair. "The Sterns?"

"Yes," Pepper grimaced. Then, she gave a shark-like smile. "We've got some of the world's best lawyers, Hannah. They're going to tear them to shreds before the court."

Hannah gave Pepper a thankful smile. "Good."

Natasha curled her feet up, sitting cross legged on the couch. "While I hate to ruin the bonding moment, ladies, we have bigger fish to fry. Hannah, we need to talk about the Winter Soldier."

Hannah swallowed. "What about?"

"He's a ghost to the intelligence community. Anything you could recall or anything you even think you remember may be of use."

Steve frowned. "What does he have to do with Hannah?"

"What does he have to do with any of us?" Logan spoke from across the room, leaning against the doorframe. "A hell of a lot. I'd say at least a quarter of those here, if not more, have had an interaction with him or know of something he was involved in even if we didn't know he was the one involved. JFK ring any bells?"

"Among others," Natasha said coolly. She lifted her shirt to reveal the pink stretched skin of her scar. "Odessa, 2006. Nuclear scientist defected, and I was escorting him out of Iran. When we got to Odessa, he was there. I covered my charge, but the Soldier doesn't mind casualties. Soviet slug, no casings." She dropped her shirt, then nodded at Tony. "From what I read in the files Fury sent, I would say the Winter Soldier was responsible for your parents' deaths, too."

Logan nodded in affirmation. "He was. And my first wife's, back when the second world war was just ending. He's been in operation since 1946. I encountered him again in 1991–same scent, same markers–when he was involved in Hannah's kidnapping the night of the Starks' death."

Steve frowned. "But that doesn't make sense. He must be in his nineties by now."

Hannah was quiet, but at Steve's statement she said, "So are you, Rogers. And we know by now that there are others who have the serum from your time or near after it. Logan, would you say he was enhanced?"

"I would say so," the mutant answered. "And not just with the arm. There was much more than met the eye."

Pepper cleared her throat. "I think we're deviating from our main purpose here. Natasha, why is this relevant information now?"

Natasha grimaced. "Because I have further evidence Jason was dirty." She held up a red notebook with a black star at its center. "This is the Winter Soldier's programming. More machine than human, they've put him through the blender so many times. Each of you should read it, when you get the chance."

"Are you saying he was–"

"Brainwashed? Yes. And all the more dangerous for it."

"A year ago I would have said brainwashing was impossible but…" Tony rubbed his forehead. "After the Legolas fiasco in New York, I would venture to say it's real."

Remy spoke up then, for the first time. "Ah, yes, it's real. Mind control, make ya' do all tha' things you want no part of." He stared curiously at the notebook. "Where did ya' find that?"

"Let's just say Jason Lawson has ties to the Winter Soldier in enough higher up ways to be entrusted with the keys to the kingdom," Natasha said grimly.

The blood drained from Hannah's face at the implications. "Nat–"

"You're safe here," Natasha said fiercely. "For now. But whenever you leave the tower, you need a security detail and an Avenger. A tracker, or several, wouldn't be a bad idea either. And, now that you're in the public eye, any incident would be more noticeable. But a bodyguard and a security detail are a necessity at this point."

Remy waved a hand. "I'm in no hurry to return ta' the mansion."

Logan frowned at him, but nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I reckon' we can stay for a little while longer. I need to call Charles, though, what with the new development in the JFK assassination. Magento was framed for that one, though I have my suspicions it was Mystique who was actually caught up in the assassination."

Bruce made a face. "Wait, so this shadow organization has ties to mutants, SHIELD, and who knows what else?"

"Looks like it," Steve said grimly. "Either the groups are corrupt or they have rats in the basement. I have my suspicions that SHIELD is corrupt and there are less true agents than false ones."

Clint grumbled, "Just when I didn't want to worry about who was watching my six."

"Then it's a good thing we're already assigned partners," Natasha said fondly, rolling her eyes as Clint slid dramatically from the couch. She turned to look at Hannah, who was picking at her nails, her eyes darting around the room. "I'm continuing my investigation of Lawson. I'm sorry to drag out more."

Hannah sighed. "Well, I already knew he was a cheating son of a bitch, so that didn't surprise me. I just didn't have the complete list of names until you gave it to me."

Tony gaped at her, digesting that her husband was a cheater, but more surprised at Hannah's rare use of language. "You—You just said—"

Hannah raised an eyebrow and pointed down at Milo, who was sleeping. "Certain circumstances call for it."

Tony nodded. "Fair enough. Does that mean I can call your dead husband a SOB instead of a son-in-law?"

Hannah laughed. "So long as it's the acronym in front of the kids."

"Deal." Tony looked around the room. "So we have a plan, then. Bruce, Jarvis, and I will dig through all the electronic records we can find for any mention of Lawson, the Winter Soldier, or even Hannah. LeBeau and Logan will make sure Hannah and Milo stay safe whenever they leave the tower, which I'm hoping won't be often until we figure this mess out. And Clint, Natasha, and Steve, you guys keep your ears to the ground in SHIELD, and then update us. No secrets, alright?"

Natasha nodded. "Agreed. We can't change anyone here not being in the know. It's important that we're all on the same page here."

"Anything you find out about Jason, I want to know," Hannah said, her eyes glinting dangerously. "I don't care what the clearance level is."

"At this point," Clint said, "it really doesn't matter. We're beyond SHIELD's clearance system now."

"Agreed," Steve nodded. "Alright, then. Stay vigilant, stay safe. We can't afford mistakes here. There's too much at risk."

If only they knew how much was at risk.

The court date approached rapidly and slowly to Hannah, who dreaded the day. Finally it arrived, and the courtroom was packed, and Hannah sat next to Tony and Milo nervously. Behind her, Pepper laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, leaning forward to whisper encouragement. Steve, sitting next to Pepper, gave her a firm nod and a warm smile. Natasha and Clint were somewhere in the back of the room, likely behind the cameras, as they wanted to avoid the public eye due to the sensitive nature of their jobs. They were the only ones here–Bruce, Logan and Remy were back at the Tower, keeping an eye on the information Jarvis was culling from the Internet regarding the current investigation surrounding Hannah.

Senator Stern and his wife, Kathy, kept shooting Hannah cold looks from the other side of the room. Hannah elected to ignore them, raising her chin. Hell hath no fury as a mother whose children are in danger.

The case was presented, and the grounds were ludicrous, as expected. Even the judge rolled his eyes at the Sterns, but as the case involved the "esteemable" Senator Stern, the case had to be considered seriously. Rumlow was called as witnesses against Hannah, and she raised her eyebrows at their bald-faced lies of her lack of ability to be a good parent. Little doubt in her mind, now, about who was in whose pocket.

The judge sighed as Rumlow moved off the stand. "As much as I would like to believe this group would uphold the promise to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, I find myself questioning the legitimacy of their claims considering Mrs. Lawson's child seems in perfect health and perfectly content to be at his mother's side. Mrs. Lawson, would you allow your child to come to the stand, please?"

At Hannah's gentle prodding, Milo stood carefully and walked up to the stand with Tony by his side, wiggling uncomfortably in the stool Tony placed him on gently. Tony stepped down, close to his grandson, but not close enough that anyone could accuse him of whispering answers to the child.

"Now, young man," the judge began, "I understand this whole situation may be a little confusing to you."

Milo wore a small scowl. "No, not really, sir. I understand okay."

The judge raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" Milo nodded. "Well, then, I hope you won't mind answering a few questions for me?"

Milo nodded. "Okay."

The judge smiled. "Alright. Now, the case brought to me today is that your mother is unfit to be your parent. Which means they don't think she can care for you the way you should be cared for."

Milo wrinkled his nose. "But that's not true."

The judge covered his smile with his hand at the boy's vehemence. "Well, that's what we're here to find out, son. Now, let's say I had no idea who your mother was. How would you describe her to me?"

Milo fidgeted with his hands, wiggling back and forth. "She's the nicest mommy in the whole world. She gives me blueberry jelly in my sandwiches cause strawberry isn't as yummy. And she hugs me when I have scary dreams."

"Objection! The child is clearly lying. Look at him! Wiggling and all."

Tony's head swiveled to Kathy in disbelief. "First off, lady, your turn to speak hasn't come yet. And second of all, there's three hundred people packed into this courtroom and the kid is four. I think he's doing an excellent job considering the circumstances."

Kathy scowled at him and opened her mouth to speak again when the judge cleared his throat. "Mrs. Stern, if you're quite finished." The judge turned back to Milo. "And your mom doesn't do anything that upsets you?"

Milo frowned. "Well…I don't like it when she doesn't let me watch cartoons for a long time." There was a ripple of laughter through the court. Milo flashed them a brilliant smile before he was serious again. "And I don't like it when she cries."

There was another ripple through the room, hushed whispers at Milo's statement. Hannah swallowed as Kathy looked triumphant, no doubt the Sterns' lawyers already gearing up to use that against her.

The judge rapped his gavel and that was enough to silence everyone. "Do you know why she cries?"

Milo sniffled, rubbing his nose. "She misses my daddy. He died in New York. I think–" Here, Milo looked anxiously at his mother like he was saying something he wasn't supposed to. "–I think she's afraid of being lonely."

The judge frowned. "Well, then I think her crying is acceptable, son. Your mom seems like a brave woman."

Milo nodded, puffing out his chest. "She is! The bravest!"

The judge smiled. "Alright. Thank you, sir. You can go back to your mom now. Mr. Stark, since you are already near the stand, would you like to speak in defense of the defendant?"

"Why yes, I would." Tony flashed the judge a brilliant smile and stepped up to the stand. "I know that among many of us here today, I'm fairly new to the idea of being a parent. Daddy Starkbucks, anyone?" He paused until the laughter quieted down then gazed out into the crowd seriously. "I've known Hannah for less than a year. Less than six months, actually. But I've spent a lot of time with her, making up for lost time. And let me tell you, that kid? My kid? She's a hell of a mother. I should know, I had a great mom. And Hannah has all the great markings my mom did. She's kind, she's compassionate, she's generous, she looks out for others. She makes sure her kid doesn't watch too many cartoons or eat too much sugar, and she tricks him into eating her vegetables. She does the same for me, sometimes. You know, uh, absent minded genius sometimes." More laughter. "In fact–with your permission of course, your honor, I would like to show the court a few clips?"

The judge looked thoughtful, then nodded when he saw Stark's lawyers nod their heads. "I think that's allowable."

"Excellent." Tony tapped a few things on his Stark phone and a projected image materialized in the front of the court where he stood. "This was only a week ago. I'm sure most of the court is aware we took a road trip to DC recently? Of course you are, that's why you're all here now. Curiosity got the best of you. Yes, she really is my daughter. But that's not the point. Here, this that I'm about to show you, is the point."

The video was one Hannah wasn't even aware Tony had taken. She and Milo were sitting side by side in the RV, laughing over a video Milo was showing Hannah on a tablet. She leaned over and kissed his forehead gently, smoothing his hair back. Milo grinned back at her, giving her a peck on the cheek in return before he snuggled closer to his mother. Then, another clip. This one Hannah did recognize. About a month ago, Milo had been running around the living room on the communal floor when he tripped and fell, scraping his knee. Hannah had been there to wipe his tears, clean his scrape, and gently smooth a band-aid onto the injury, cuddling Milo to soothe him.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark, I believe that's sufficient evidence," the judge said softly.

Tony shrugged. "If you need any more, I have dozens of those clips."

The judge nodded. "Thank you. You may exit the stand." Looking towards the Sterns, he addressed their lawyer. "Mr. Gentry, if you would like to make a counter argument to anything that was said."

Gram Gentry stood to his feet and pulled out a sheet of paper, bringing it to the judge. He addressed the court, stating, "I have here on record that Mrs. Lawson has not been taking the proper medication to manage her mental illnesses, which is part of the grounds this case was brought on before the court today. As Mrs. Lawson has not been taking the proper steps to care for her mental illnesses, I believe she is unfit to be the sole guardian of the child."

Tony inhaled sharply and Hannah was pale, but determined.

"Objection, your honor." One of the Stark lawyers, a Ms. Jennifer Walters, spoke up calmly.

"You may proceed," the judge nodded.

"My client has an excellent reason not to be taking the prescribed medication. Mrs. Lawson, would you please stand for a moment?"

When Hannah stood, there was a rippled gasp at her condition, no longer able to hide behind baggy clothes or Tony. Kathy's teeth bared, in her eyes a cold promise Hannah had every desire to see unfulfilled.

"Thank you," Walters smiled. "You can sit back down. Now, your honor, while the last records the doctor in Wilmington has on record state that Mrs. Lawson has not been taking her medication, if you view the second page of the records, I believe you will see where they were seeking alternatives due to her condition. Further, Mrs. Lawson has been in discussion with several specialists regarding her options for a different medication, including specialists such as Adalene Dernier, who is well-known for her advances in the medical field. They've come up with a compound that should be safe for Mrs. Lawson to ingest while in her condition, and if you will check these records–" Walters handed the judge a page of paper "–you will see that Mrs. Lawson has been taking the compound for a month now. I would like to call Dr. Dernier up to the stand as another witness. Dr. Dernier?"

Adalene made her way to the stand, nodding to the judge respectfully. Walters jumped right in.

"Dr. Dernier, you were part of the specialized team creating an alternative compound for Mrs. Lawson, correct?"

Adalene smiled. "Oui. I was."

"And this compound is designed to help her manage her symptoms of anxiety and depression?"

Adalene nodded. "Indeed. It's also designed to deliver at least a portion of the necessary prenatal vitamins she needs."

"Excellent. Has Mrs. Lawson taken this compound?"

"As far as I am aware, yes. I have refilled the prescription twice, and I worked with her to adjust the dosage to control her nausea the first week of taking the compound."

"Alright, thank you, Dr. Dernier. Judge, do you have any questions for further testimony from my witness?" Walters asked brightly.

The judge shook his head. "No. Thank you, Ms. Walters. And you, Dr. Dernier. You may both be seated."

Kathy demanded she be called as a witness, and her lawyer looked pained to say the least but relented. The judge raised an eyebrow as she spoke of how Hannah had cut her out of her grandchildren's lives–the offspring of her own dead child–not even bothering to contact her about her pregnancy. She dabbed her eyes and spoke of how she could not bear the thought of not having contact with her son's children, especially with his recent death.

"Objection," Walters again said calmly. The judge motioned for her to continue. "Mrs. Lawson is under no obligation to maintain contact with her husband's mother. She is further under no obligation, legally that is, to make sure Mrs. Kathy Stern has contact with her children."

Hannah smothered a laugh when she heard a member of the jury whisper, "Can you blame her for not wanting to?"

Kathy scowled down at Walters from the stand. "Are you going to let me finish?"

"By all means." Walters winked at Hannah.

Tony leaned over and whispered to his daughter, "She's just embarrassing herself at this point."

Hannah nodded tightly, aware but still on edge. The Sterns' lawyer called a few more witnesses, and Hannah herself testified as a witness, along with Captain America himself, and Pepper. The camera flashes had Hannah far more nervous than necessary as she was on the stand. No doubt these pictures would be fresh off the tabloids tomorrow.

Finally, the judge called the jury away, and the courtroom buzzed for thirty minutes before the judge and jury returned.

The judge rapped his gavel to restore order and quiet, then stated, "The court finds Mrs. Hannah Lawson not guilty of any parental neglect or harm. Further, the court also finds Mrs. Lawson to be a fitting parent, fully functional and capable of taking care of her children. Mr. and Mrs. Stern, however, are being served a court notice for libel as soon as I can get off this bench to serve it to them. If you weren't a senator, Mr. Stern, I would throw you out of this court myself. As it is, I don't want to see you back here nor do I want to hear about this case coming back up ever again. Thank you, jury, for your service today. Court is adjourned."

The judge rapped his gavel and the court erupted into chaos. Hannah hugged Milo tightly to her, tears dropping into his hair. Pepper and Tony both hugged her, as did Adalene and Steve.

Hannah shook the hands of the lawyers, and grasped Ms. Walters' hand firmly, thanking her for defending the case. Walters grinned. "Oh, this case? Piece of cake. I'm shocked they didn't laugh those two off the court at their grounds. This was my most fun case in years. Oh, Mr. Stark? Tell my cousin Bruce I said hi. And to stop being a recluse. I miss my cousin."

Tony grinned at her. "I will. Also, you're welcome to stop in at the Tower anytime and say hi yourself."

"I might just do that. You guys have a great day. Hopefully I never see you again for this type of case." With a smile, Walters left the courtroom.

Natasha and Clint appeared next to the group, smiling. Seeing them, Milo clambered from his place next to his mother and ran over to Natasha, tugging at her skirt.

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

He waved her down and whispered in her ear, "'Member how you told me what you do?"

Natasha smirked. "Yeah."

Milo scowled over at his paternal grandparents who were arguing angrily with their lawyers. "Well, I want you to do that to them. They can't take me away from my mama if I'm dead."

Natasha sighed, ruffling his hair. "I wish that's how it worked, kid. Sadly, I can't do that. It'd be too suspicious so soon after court, for one. And for two, I don't have enough of a reason to do that."

Milo looked heartbroken. "You mean…they can still take me? And my sisters?"

Natasha got down on his level. "Milo, listen to me very carefully. If they so much as tried to pull anything like this again and succeeded, I promise I would find you and take you somewhere safe where they could never find you. Okay?"

Milo blinked back tears. "Promise?"

Natasha held out her pinky finger. Milo linked his pinky around hers. "I promise, Milo. If anything ever happens, I will find you and I will kill whoever took you."

He nodded, satisfied. "Thanks, Aunty Nat."

As he ran back to his mother, Clint raised an eyebrow at Natasha, who returned his gaze nonchalantly.

"Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same in a heartbeat," she said.

"Never said I wouldn't."

Hannah crashed on the couch as soon as they got back to the Tower late that night, weeping into the cushions. Pepper waved Tony and Milo away to the labs, and sat beside her softly, running her fingers through her hair. She didn't say anything, just sat there beside Hannah, a solid presence of comfort. After Hannah began to sniffle instead of sob, Pepper sent Natasha a text, went to the kitchen to grab the biggest tub of ice cream she could find in the freezer, and then returned to the living room. Natasha arrived just as Pepper had Jarvis cue up The Princess Bride, sitting down on Hannah's other side to watch the cult classic. Hannah fell asleep, eventually, and Pepper and Natasha spoke quietly over her about all that had happened in the past few days. Pepper specifically asked Natasha to explain Hannah's relationship with Jason and what Natasha had found so far.

Piper and Snippy: Y'all, I suck at writing court scenes. Please tell me if you see anything I need to fix. Look at me though, two updates within two weeks! Yay! That may be manageable for me-we shall see. I may feel super inspired if I hit two hundred reviews soon, haha. ;) Many thanks to my two guest reviewers, Izzybug and M-I can't believe you guys are still sticking with me after all this time! Warms my heart! Thank you, too, to all of my account reviewers-I PM'd my thanks to you guys. I greatly appreciate how much you love this story and your well-wishes! They mean so much!